German police are investigating a "probable terrorist attack" after a man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48, the BBC reports.
Berlin attack: Police say lorry crash 'probably terror attack'
STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 20, ARTSAKHPRESS: They have detained the driver, who security sources reportedly say is an Afghan or Pakistani asylum seeker.
He arrived in Germany in February as a refugee, the DPA news agency said.
The daily Tagesspiegel said the man was known to the police for minor crimes, but not terror links.
"All police measures related to the suspected terrorist attack at Breitscheidplatz are progressing at full steam and with the necessary diligence," Berlin Police said on Twitter.
German politicians had avoided branding the bloodshed a terror attack in the hours immediately following, but Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television, "there are many things pointing to one".
The market is at Breitscheidplatz, close to the Kurfuerstendamm, the main shopping street in Berlin's west.
The crash happened in the shadow of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was damaged in a World War Two bombing raid and preserved as a symbol of peace.
The truck, which was loaded with steel beams, veered into the market at 20:14 local time (19:14 GMT),one of its busiest times. It crashed through wooden huts and stands packed with tourists and locals.
According to the DPA news agency, police believe the lorry drove 50-80 metres (160-260 ft) through the market area.
